


The Appearifier

by Geromy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 13:38:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7441273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geromy/pseuds/Geromy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, the one in which Ladybug won't let Adrien Agreste out of her sight, left to fight alone and wonder where Chat Noir could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Appearifier

Adrien had seen her standing in front of him a million times. He’d watched her stick landings on her feet, on her knees, even on her palms seconds before she pushed off the pavement and headed feet first into the bad guy of the day.

But this was a different view. There was no annoying black mask that he couldn’t quite get out of the corner of his eye. His bare elbows were scraped from where he made impact with the sidewalk. And as he struggled to close his mouth, he looked up at Ladybug from below: a tall, powerful silhouette towering in front of him. She had knocked him out of the way of a hit from _the Appearifier_ : Hawkmoth’s latest abomination.

“Ladybug!” His vision was shaking as she glanced over her shoulder at him, and his agape mouth turned upwards into a nonchalant smile.

“Adrien-” It came out as more of a statement than a question. He thought back, remembering that yes, they had met once before, back when _Simon Says_ was after Father and Nino made her stay behind for him. Though he was still surprised- and pumped- to find out she remembered his name.

“What’s going on?” He asked, glancing around wildly as he pushed off the pavement and dusted off the back of his pants. “Where’s Chat Noir?”

“He could be anywhere,” she shouted, yo-yo spinning wildly as she pushed off another attack. “I have faith that he’ll turn up in time. But for now…”

She spun around so quick he felt like he was moving in slow motion. His hair barely had time to settle from his head jerking back towards her before her hand was taking his, and he was staring directly into the kind, focused bluebell eyes he had fallen in love with.

 

“The Appearifier can reappear anywhere at will,” she explained, their feet tapping wildly as she dragged him down the street. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you out of my sight.”

“What?” That was no good. He couldn’t transform to help her if she didn’t let him leave. He’d have to find time to sneak off. “M-- Ladybug, you won’t be able to focus if you’re worried about me. I’ll be safe at home behind Father’s security systems.”

She didn’t reply. He just kept running behind her, watching her pigtails bounce. From what he could tell, they weren’t being tailed anymore. Next thing he knew he was being pushed into a small building. A coffee shop, that seemed to be abandoned in the city’s panic.

He watched helplessly as she carefully closed the blinds on the door and windows, dimming the lights. When it was done her body language seemed to calm, and she pointedly avoided turning to face him.

Adrien didn’t say much for a long time. He watched her hips sway back and forth as she kept shifting her weight to the other leg. Her arms were crossed, shoulder slumped. He imagined if he could see her eyes, they would be wildly darting, piecing together a solution, like he’d seen so many times every time she used her lucky charm. _Mon dieu,_ he could barely stand how smart and capable she was.

Too bad he couldn’t flirt like this. Even if he didn’t have to worry about his wise cracks giving his identity away, he wasn’t the same without the mask- without the miraculous. Without Chat Noir, he was just a picture perfect Daddy’s boy. No stepping out of line, no frivolous romances or unruly behavior. Just kindness, graciousness, and an unprecedented depression that couldn’t be seen in anything but his eyes.

“Ladybug,” he finally said, quietly, trying not to startle her. She startled anyway, letting out a high pitched squeal like she had forgotten he was even there. His hands held tight to the strap of his school bag, working up the courage to look her in the eyes. “You need to be out there, don’t you? Chat Noir can’t find you here.”

“I can’t,” she said, hardly a whisper. Her arms slumped to her sides and she finally looked him in the eye. There was something different about her gaze. She looked more vulnerable, terrified in a way Adrien didn’t know she could be. She had a personal stake in this, and he could tell. Her eyes fell closed as she dropped her head. “I can’t let you out of my sight,” she repeated.

“Why not?” He approached carefully, opening his arms as an invite for trust and elaboration. “I can handle it, I can call my bodyguard and ask him to meet me here. He can take me home, and I’ll be safe. And you can get back to kicking butt.”

She looked up at him briefly, lips pursed. Maybe that was too feline-esque to get away with? Ladybug didn’t linger on the suspicion though, poking a finger through the shuttered blinds to peek out into the street.

“The Appearifier is after _you_ , Adrien,” she told him. “It’s strange. If Hawkmoth wanted you, wouldn’t it have been easier to give you an Acuma?”

Adrien crossed his arms, head cocking while he pretended to mull it over. “Nope,” he said simply. “Not sure what you’re talking about.” A lie, but a necessary one.

Ladybug stepped away from the window, approaching him with a cool stride. “Hawkmoth can make anyone his loyal follower. Usually when one of his followers go after someone, it’s because the person themselves had business with them. But this is coming from the mastermind. It doesn’t make any sense. What would he want with you?”

“Ransom? My father- he’s famous, you see-”

“I know,” Ladybug dismissed. Though there was a turn at her lips and a shine in her eye he’d never seen from her before. “I’ve- I mean, I admire his work! I do a little fashion designing myself.”

Adrien’s heart swelled. Ladybug was a fashion designer? What else? What didn’t he know about her? How much had he missed because they were always fighting crime?

“That’s pretty cool,” he said, trying to remain as casual as possible. “Did you design the get-ups you and Chat Noir wear? I’ve always thought that guy looked pretty cool, balancing on those poles and stuff. What’s he like, anyway? Is he insanely awesome or what?”

Ladybug’s eyebrow shot up, giving him a glance that looked a little more like what he was used to from her. That was a look she gave Chat Noir when he got mouthy.

“Chat Noir is a great partner,” she answered.

“Diplomatic answer.” Adrien struggled to wipe the obnoxious grin off of his face. “And the costumes?”

“They were given to us along with our powers. Nothing special.”

“Well, you look great.” He tilted his head, using one hand to gesture to her. Her entire expression seemed to freeze, cheeks dusted pink and eyes completely still. Then it happened. She smiled at him. Not a smirk, not a grin, but a cute, candid, sickeningly sweet smile, that just showed a little crescent of her teeth and brought out the shine in her bottom lip. He’d never seen her so genuinely flattered. Maybe Chat Noir should start laying a bit lower?

“Th- Yank th- I mean. Thanks you! I mean. Thanks. I don’t know why I said you.”

Now Adrien was smiling. He chuckled politely into the side of his fist, drinking in every moment of flustered brilliance.

“You’re a lot cuter than you seem on TV.”

No, fix that, before her expression gets more sour than it already is getting-

“I guess when you’re always saving the world, you’re too busy looking really cool, like this amazing leader and public icon of hope. Talking to you though, you just seem more human, I guess. More real.”

Nice save. From the looks of things now, she was melting where she stood, hands folded together at her cheeks while her eyes glossed into dreamland. Maybe the trick to Ladybug _was_ to just keep it simple?

The daydream shattered when there was a shrill screech from outside. Ladybug’s expression hardened and she went back to peering out the window from between the shutters.

“I don’t know how to stop him,” she hissed. Adrien came up behind her, taking a spot at the next window over. “Everytime I trap him he can just teleport somewhere else. And because he’s only “appearing” instead of disappearing and appearing, it doesn’t matter what I trap him in. I hate to say it, but I could really use Chat Noir right about now. He always has some line I can jump from.”

Adrien had gotten so focused on trying to solve this issue he didn’t even notice the insult, eyes narrow while his brain worked. Their last villain that couldn’t stay trapped- _Animan_ \- maybe it was a case of tiring this guy out, too. But he couldn’t suggest that, he wasn’t supposed to know how they defeated him.

_A line she can jump from. A line she can jump from… Got it._

“Must be dizzying to be in so many places at once.”

He knew it was risky, being that smug could give him away. But he couldn’t help it. He looked right at her, watching the familiar way her eyes darted, piecing things together.

“Adrien,” she said finally. “Do you know somewhere we could get with a lot of mirrors? A funhouse, or maybe a dance studio?”

He didn’t want to answer too quickly, so he held his finger to his chin for a minute.

“Actually, I do. I did a photoshoot in a hall of mirrors last week. The set should still be up; we have to do reshoots sometimes.”

Ladybug lit up, though she kept her expression hard enough that you could only see it in her eyes.

“Can you get us in?”

Adrien smiled sweetly.

“Sure.”

 

He felt bad for slipping away when they got there. Ladybug would probably worry, at least a little. But he couldn’t leave her to do this big showdown on her own. He could hear her voice calling his name as he slipped into the stairwell, waiting for her to pass before calling Plagg.

As soon as he was done transforming he ran out after her. They nearly collided when she came skidding down the corner. He was about to snark at her before he saw the panic in her expression, and he set his hands carefully down on her shoulders.

“Ladybug! What’s wrong?”

“Chat Noir?” She was surprised to see him, but she didn’t linger on wondering how he got here. “Adrien- Where’s Adrien?”

“Relax, M’Lady,” he said, trying to keep his own concern off of his face. She was so panicked. She was really that worried about him? “I ran into him on the way in. He’s hauled up in a windowless room. No way he’ll be found there. He’s safe, so let’s you and me focus.”

The relief seemed to wash over her face, and Chat Noir let himself relax, too.

They ran up together to the top floor where the mirror room was still standing. It felt like they were standing with hundreds of copies of themselves. Ladybug was dialing someone on her communicator. The voice that answered sounded like Alya’s.

“Alya? It’s Ladybug. I need your help.”

“We’re set,” she said after a few minutes, readying her yo-yo back into weapon position. “The Ladyblog has a news scoop about our current whereabouts, and the fact that we were seen chaperoning world famous boy wonder Adrien Agreste. Appearifier should be here in-”

The clownish-looking lurch smashed into existence, his feet leaving cracks in the marble floor.

“Now?” Chat Noir finished, letting out a screech as an attack was thrown his direction. He took off in a run, disappearing behind a wall of mirrors. His reflection followed him, and Ladybug took off in the other direction. “Doesn’t give you much time to think, does he?”

“Where is Adrien?” The voice screeched. Chat Noir felt a chill go up his spine when he saw the mirror next to him gain a small crack.

“M’lady, I think we need to speed this up!”

She didn’t reply- probably too deep in thought. Then he saw it, the red flash of her lucky charm from behind a few of the mirror walls. He felt his heart sink- she’d given away her position. He couldn’t stop himself from yelling out for her, racing to where he thought the flash had come from.

“ _Ladybug!”_

 

It felt like he was running forever. Endless corridors of his own reflection staring back at him. He hadn’t heard anything from her since her lucky charm. He could feel his heart sinking into his feet. His footsteps felt heavy.

 

“ _Hey, Marinette._ ”

 

Chat Noir froze. A new voice was echoing through the halls. It was his own voice.

 

“ _I just wanted to say it was cool what you did for Nino today._ ”

 

This was a voicemail he left for Marinette a couple days ago. How did Ladybug have it?

However she did it, it was agitating Appearifier. He was suddenly disappearing and appearing wildly, moving through the corridors of mirrors. Eventually he wound up in the middle, surrounded by nothing but his own reflection while Adrien’s voice kept talking from above.

 

“ _Sometimes I feel like I haven’t quite figured out the whole friendship thing._ ”

 

“Chat Noir! It’s the handkerchief! In his suit pocket!”

He managed to right himself. Called on his Cataclysm and pummeled through the mirror maze to get to Appearifier. When he reached him, he pulled the handkerchief from the pocket and tore it in two.

 

“ _I’m glad I have someone like you to take an example from._ ”

 

Ladybug moved toward them with the same cool stride from before. The first toe on his ring began to blink. Her yo-yo spun and the acuma was trapped inside.

 

“ _I guess I’m just trying to say thank you._ ”

 

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

The room turned back to normal around him. The man at his feet groaned, but Chat Noir couldn’t bring himself to pay it any mind. He glanced at Ladybug to see her fist ready for their fist bump, but Chat Noir just looked her in the eye, expression blank. Two toes down.

“What was that soundfile?” He asked.

She seemed to turn pink, wildly gesturing and pointing at her palm.

“The lucky charm! It was a cell phone and an auxiliary cord. I just pressed play. But hey, the phone is gone now, so I guess I just borrowed it from one of Adrien’s friends!”

He would have thought more on it, but the beeping from his ring started, and he figured he’d just have to trust her on this one.

“Time to go. I’m going to go find Adrien before I’m out of time, too. See you later, Partner.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye. Just watched her disappear out the door. He was going to stand there until the man behind him stirred again. Then he took off. Disappeared into a closet and let his costume disappear in a flash of green.

“Adrien?!”

He took a deep breath, pushing the closet open again and peering out the door. Ladybug had just walked past it, hands cupped to her mouth to call out for him.

“Ladybug, I’m here. Is it safe to come out?”

She spun around on her heel to face him, her face soft with relief.

“Yeah, everything is fine. You can go home now. I can’t take you, but you shouldn’t need an escort now.”

Adrien smiled sweetly at her, picking up his bag and putting it back on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Ladybug. You’re incredible.”

Her cheeks went pink again, and he drank it in, greedily gulping it back like the first glass of water he’d seen in days.

When her earring started beeping he turned, offering a wave over his shoulder. “See you around, M’lady! Don’t get caught.”

“Wh-”

_Beep beep beep!_

 

Sorry, Ladybug. No time to explain now!

He broke out into a run once he reached the stairwell, taking the stairs three steps at a time. He slowed back down when he got outside, putting his hands in his pockets. He was a little ways away from home, but figured he could enjoy the walk without a bodyguard for once.

 

When he turned a corner around the building he looked up, seeing Marinette walking towards him. He pulled one hand free to wave, calling out for her.

“Hey, Marinette!”

Her gaze shot up, her mouth stretching wide in that kind of goofy, pretty cute smile she always put on. He wondered if that was her natural smile or not.

“Adrien! Hey! F- Finishing up a shoot?”

“Actually. You probably won’t believe me, but I was hanging out with Ladybug and Chat Noir. They just took down a baddie.”

“Really? I haven’t heard-” She picked up her phone and frantically started scrolling. Guess she did get it back from the Miraculous Ladybug. “Oh no! Alya posted about it on her Ladyblog? She’s going to be so ticked that I didn’t read it right away.”

Adrien laughed gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. “She’s your best friend, Marinette. I doubt she’ll mind. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

She seemed lost for words, nodding frantically and humming through her toothy smile. He moved past her and continued on his way.

 

Something about the way Ladybug looked at Adrien was worlds away from how she looked at Chat Noir. It was a look he’d seen elsewhere too, though he couldn’t place where. It was a look that made her eyes look like oceans of deeper thoughts, and maybe even deeper feelings.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that Ladybug was in love with him after all. Maybe Adrien could stand to be a little more like Chat Noir. And maybe Chat Noir should try being a little more like Adrien. 


End file.
